Ashbourne Methodist Church is in the process of moving into temporary accommodation as it prepares for work to transform the buildings into a new hub for the local community.
We will hold our last morning service in the building at 10.30m on Sunday 30th June. The service will be led by one of our Local Preachers, Peter Dawson. Peter says that the service will focus on valuing the past, present and future of Ashbourne Methodist Church’s worship and also recognising that our God is unchanging and will be with us while we worship elsewhere. Peter grew up in Ashbourne and was a pupil at the Methodist School which was in our church buildings, so he is very familiar with our history as well as our plans for the future.
From Sunday 7th July, we will hold our morning services at Ashbourne’s Hilltop Primary School. The services will continue to be suitable for all ages and to include worship choices. We have a significant online following, and so we will continue to live stream services on YouTube and Facebook. We know that the live streamed worship is appreciated by people from across the country, including people in Dorset, Nottinghamshire and Hampshire who regularly join our services.
The redevelopment of the church building is one of the key project areas of the ‘Ashbourne Reborn’ transformation programme, which will receive Levelling Up Funding from central government. The work will involve building a new foyer linking three current buildings into one accessible suite, creating a flexible performance, events and worship space. Meeting rooms of various sizes will be developed for community and business use, and the Gateway Centre will be remodelled to provide affordable quality visitor accommodation, to attract visitors to the town. The Cornerstone Coffee House will be upgraded and a community garden created.
Other church activities are also in the process of relocating over coming weeks. Full details are available at www.ashbournemethodist.org.uk/new
